InflamatioJi. Ploq^osis. PJilegmasia. 57 



nary to re-absorption and removal, and the restoration of the tis- 

 sue to a healthy condition. When in excess this softens and dis- 

 integrates the tissues, leading to permanent loss of substance. 

 S&& graimlar degeneration. 



Interstitial Development of Lymph into Tissue. This 

 is equivalent to what takes place in the formation of the sac of 

 the abscess or of granulation-tissue. The liquid lymph in coagu- 

 lating, becomes fibrillar, and the cells and nuclei of the adjacent 

 tissue, having an abundant supply of blood and nutriment, multi- 

 ply first as simple, rounded embryonic cells, then deposit around 

 them new tissue, becoming elongated, spindle-shaped, branching, 

 etc. , and thus get imbedded in a fibrous material of their own 

 formation. These new formations are usually of a low type of 

 organization, like white fibrous tissue or bone, and hence, al- 

 though breaches in the higher structures like muscle, nerve, gland, 

 skin, are filled up, it is usually only by the drawing together of 

 the remaining healthy parts by these new formations without the 

 restoration of any of the original tissue which has been destroyed. 

 The cicatrix (scar), alone is made up of new material. 



Lymph developing in this way may undergo any degeneration 

 to which normal tissues are subject. Thus it may undergo black 

 pigmentary (jnelanotic) degeneration, it may become impregna- 

 ted with lime-salts (^calcified), it may wither up into a hard gcla- 

 tiniform or Jiorny mass, or it may undergo /«//)' degeneration. 



Fatty degeneration is the most common form, and consists in 

 the excessive deposit of fatty granules, first in the cells which 

 are in excess or badly nourished, and next in the adjacent tissue, 

 the normal elements of which are replaced by fatty granules. 



Softening is an almost constant result of inflammation. The 

 exudate infiltrates and separates the tissue elements, destroying 

 their cohesion ; the liquefaction of these elements impairs this 

 still further, and the more or less perfect transformation of the 

 tissue into embryonic tissue entails the loss of its rigidity and 

 power of resistance. Thus the inflamed brain-tissue may become 

 a mere pulp, and the inflamed bone may be cut with a knife. 



Ulceration is closely allied to softening. On the surface of a 

 sore there is an excessive exudation of l3miph, which loosens and 

 disintegrates the layer of lymph that is already in process of de- 

 velopment, and also a part of the tissue beneath. The cells in 



